1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method to joggle a structural element and a structural element joggled according to this method. Joggling a structural element comprises joggling such a structural element so as to create an offset between two of its parts. In the context of the invention, the structural element to be joggled is a beam with any section whatsoever comprising, in its profile, a strut and wings at the two ends of this strut. The invention is aimed at reducing a length in the offset given by a joggling operation. The present invention can be applied to special advantage, but not exclusively, in the field of aeronautics.
A joggled structural element is generally used to strengthen a link between two parts, such as two parts of an aircraft that are not aligned with each other.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 1 shows a view of such a prior art joggled structural element 100. This structural element herein has an I-shaped section that could have any section whatsoever, such as a C-shaped or U-shaped section. This structural element 100 has a first wing 101, a second wing 102, and a strut 103. The first wing 101 has a thickness E1 and the second wing 102 has a thickness E2. This joggled structural element 100 is used to set up or reinforce a link between a part 121 and a part 122.
The first wing 101 and the second wing 102 are each deployed in a plane that forms a non-zero angle with a plane of the strut 103, itself located in the plane of the FIG. 1. In a particular embodiment, these wings 101 and 102 are each deployed in a plane that is perpendicular to a plane of the strut 103. There is a linking joggle 104 between a first part 105 and a second part 106 of the structural element. This joggle 104 corresponds to the part of the structural element 100 that is bent. This joggle 104 gives an offset between the first part 105 and the second part. 106. The offset extends in the plane of the strut 103 of the structural element with an offset height H measured along a direction perpendicular to the plane of the wings 101 and 102, and with an offset length L measured in a direction parallel to the planes of the strut 103 and of the wings 101 and 102.
This length L is computed as a function of a thickness of a wing. In one exemplary embodiment, for structural elements comprising wings 101 and 102 with equal thicknesses E1 and E2, the length L is on the whole equal to six times the thickness of a wing. This ratio between the thickness of a wing and the length L varies as a function of the material out of which the structural element is made. The length L is as short as possible but cannot be reduced as much as is desired. Indeed, the proportion of six times the thickness of the wing is a constraint that cannot be flouted without a risk of deterioration of the structural element.
In the prior art, when the thicknesses E1 and E2 of the wings 101 and 102 are different, the length L is computed from the thickness of the bigger of the two wings. In FIG. 1, the length L is therefore equal to six times the thickness E1 of the thick wing 101. In its joggle 104, the structural element 100 therefore has identical slopes on both sides of the wings 103 and 104.
The fact that the slopes are identical raises a problem. Indeed, the joggled structural element 100 is used to strengthen a link between two parts 121 and 122 having a difference in level. A space 130 depending on the length L can be seen between the parts 121 and 122 and the structural element 100. Since the length L of the offset given by the joggle is very great, the space 130 between the parts and the structural element is great. At the position of such a space 130, the joggled structural elements of the prior art therefore do not optimally participate in strengthening the link between the parts 121 and 122.
It is an object of the invention to resolve this problem of excessive space 130 between the structural element 100 and the parts 121 and 122.